Scotland has implemented new abortion legislation that could criminalize praying at home within designated zones. 'The Abortion Services Act (Scotland) 2024' may lead to prosecution for activities conducted in individual residences if such actions cause “harassment, alarm, or distress” to staff and patients at abortion clinics.
Residents in Edinburgh recently received communications warning them about the new law, as reported by The Telegraph. The legislation establishes 200-meter “safe access zones” surrounding all abortion clinics across the country.
A letter sent to residents within an Edinburgh zone specified, “Activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a zone could be an offense if they can be seen or heard within the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.”
The potential penalties for violations include fines up to £10,000 ($13,000) for less serious offenses, while the most serious offenses could result in unlimited fines.
Michael Robinson, executive director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, described the legislation as “sinister and deeply Orwellian,” indicating that it could criminalize actions like “someone silently praying in their front garden.”
An Edinburgh resident expressed her disbelief upon receiving the notification. “As a Christian, I pray all the time,” she stated. “To think that this could now be a criminal offense, even within the vicinity of my own home, is truly unbelievable.”
The guidance from the Scottish government that accompanies the law identifies “religious preaching” and “silent vigils” as examples of potentially prohibited activities if undertaken with “intent or recklessness,” according to GB News.
A spokesperson for the Scottish government defended the legislation, stating, “Safe access zones are designed to safeguard a woman’s right to access healthcare. The legislation that creates them intentionally does not criminalize any particular behavior, including prayer.”
However, pro-life activists are concerned that praying within these zones could be classified as an offense, especially following the arrests of several activists for harassment and public order violations in England and Northern Ireland.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, mentioned that her organization would “vigilantly” monitor the application of buffer zone legislation throughout Britain.
Meanwhile, similar legislation is set to be implemented across England and Wales at the end of October. The English legislation criminalizes activities “in any location” within a 150-meter radius of abortion providers that could deter or distress staff and patients if those activities are “visible from a public highway, public right of way, open space to which the public have access, or the curtilage of an abortion clinic,” as reported by GB News.
